Dana Om Pottery on thu 27 jan 11
Can I get more of a lesson in the MSDS binder and labels?
I learned to throw in a commercial studio that taught nothing about safety.
There were fans running inside during the summer. Glaze was mixed in a room=
off
the studio with the door opened at times and I was never taught the safety
issues in breathing in glaze dust. No discussion was ever had regarding cla=
y
dust or i was told by one teacher who actually had a education in clay that=
the
worry was overrated.
Dana
\
WJ Seidl on thu 27 jan 11
Dana:
In the US, anyone operating a business is all too familiar with MSDS
requirements.
Basically, any material you buy these days, including most glaze
chemicals and clay powders
have to come with an MSDS (material safety data sheet) at the time of
delivery to you.
The firm selling it MUST supply you with one.
You have to keep them, put them in a binder, and have them available for
anyone that wants to see it.
If you change suppliers for any material (say, ball clay) you remove the
old sheet once your supply of that material is gone
and put in its place the new MSDS you got from your new supplier when
you got your new ball clay.
Yes, you can have more than one MSDS for the same type of material, it
depends on where you got it.
If you order "XYZ" ball clay from Axner, and then order the same "XYZ"
ball clay from Continental, you can have only one
MSDS, since they're both from XYZ corp. (the manufacturer of the
material is responsible for creating the MSDS sheet)
but if the manufacturer is different, you need to keep the MSDS for
each manufacturer.
This is more an OSHA thing for industry (or it started out that way) but
now, the general assumption is that if the place used by humans
and chemicals are to be found there, so must the MSDS. I'm guessing it
is because employees have the right to know to what they are exposed.
Remember too, that ALL chemicals (wet, dry or other) have to be properly
labeled and stored. Big fines for that if you don't.
When we ran a cleaning service, each spray bottle (we sometimes had the
same chemicals in spray bottles in 50 different locations in the city)
has to be labeled...even water. We put an MSDS binder in each of our
cleaning cabinets in the janitor's closets, and had to keep them locked.
Writing on (say) a spray bottle with a magic marker isn't enough,
either. It has to be basically the same information you find on the
"big" container...mixing instructions, hazard info, usage instructions
etc. secured to the spray bottle by tape or glue to make it "permanent".
Yes, it's a nightmare. I spent hours at a scanner and copier every
month trying to stay in compliance.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
On 1/27/2011 11:28 AM, Dana Om Pottery wrote:
> Can I get more of a lesson in the MSDS binder and labels?
>
> I learned to throw in a commercial studio that taught nothing about safet=
y.
> There were fans running inside during the summer. Glaze was mixed in a ro=
om off
> the studio with the door opened at times and I was never taught the safet=
y
> issues in breathing in glaze dust. No discussion was ever had regarding c=
lay
> dust or i was told by one teacher who actually had a education in clay th=
at the
> worry was overrated.
>
> Dana
> \
>
>
William & Susan Schran User on thu 27 jan 11
On 1/27/11 11:28 AM, "Dana Om Pottery" wrote:
> Can I get more of a lesson in the MSDS binder and labels?
> I learned to throw in a commercial studio that taught nothing about safet=
y.
> There were fans running inside during the summer. Glaze was mixed in a ro=
om
> off the studio with the door opened at times and I was never taught the s=
afety
> issues in breathing in glaze dust. No discussion was ever had regarding c=
lay
> dust or i was told by one teacher who actually had a education in clay th=
at
> the worry was overrated.
The response of anyone who says the worry is overrated is, to put it in the
simplest way, is from one who is ignorant of the facts or is foolish.
Exposure to silica dust from clay or chemicals used in mixing glazes is a
cumulative problem, not an acute issue (unless one already has a compromise=
d
respiratory issue such as asthma).
Understanding how to handle, work with these materials and protect one's
respiratory system is not complicated. The information is out there - one
just has to look for it.
MSDS stands for material safety data sheet. The information contained in
this published material will spell out how to safely handle the material,
how to protect your health and how to dispose of the material. It will
address to what extent it is a breathing hazard (also mucous, eyes and skin
absorption), if it is flammable, if it is reactive and what respiratory
protection is needed - just about anything you would need to know.
The binder of MSDS I maintain at school is a 3 ring binder of sheets for
every material stored in our chemical room. I am required to keep this
accessible and up to date.
Where does one get these sheets? The supplier you get the material from can
get them for you. Some larger suppliers have the MSDS for the materials the=
y
sell on their website.
I just put in the key words: material & MSDS in my search engine and print
out the sheets.
For example: silica & msds provided this result:
https://louisville.edu/research/cleanroom/msds-library/Silica.pdf
This MSDS will provide you with all the information you need about working
with silica.
Here's a good site to explain about labeling systems:
http://ehs.okstate.edu/modules/hazcom/Label.htm
I use the HMLS labels, while other areas at my school use the NFPA system.
Either is fine, HMLS just seemed to work better for me as it is the label
that is placed on every container. The MSDS will often list these hazard
numbers.
Individual potters are not required to have or maintain this information,
but if you employ folks in your studio, they may be required.
Here is what prompted our visit by OSHA contractor:
1
011/>
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
William & Susan Schran User on thu 27 jan 11
On 1/27/11 4:54 PM, "Dana Om Pottery" wrote:
> That is so odd. I bought a bunch of glaze making materials from West Cera=
mics
> in
> NY. They gave me nothing. Is it because i was purchasing as a individual =
and
> not
> a business?
Probably, but you also have to ask for the MSDS.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Snail Scott on fri 28 jan 11
On Jan 27, 2011, at 3:54 PM, Dana Om Pottery wrote:
> That is so odd. I bought a bunch of glaze making materials from West =3D
Ceramics in
> NY. They gave me nothing. Is it because i was purchasing as a =3D
individual and not
> a business?
Yes. As an independent artist, your safety is your own=3D20
affair. If you have employees or students, then their=3D20
health is your responsibility and you must make the=3D20
info available.=3D20
Most suppliers will not assume you need an MSDS -=3D20
maybe you've already got one - what do they know?
If you want one, just ask. Or go to the manufacturers'=3D20
websites - it's easy to download and print them.=3D20
-Snail=3D
Josh White on fri 28 jan 11
Dana - You should visit this website
(http://www.free-training.com/osha/Soshamenu.htm-) and click on the link fo=
r
Hazardous Communication. It is probably more in depth than what you are
looking for but it is designed to train employees about hazardous
communication and that is what MSDS is all about. I have been visited by
OSHA twice and have done well both times. What I have learned from those
visits is this:
1. Be open and honest. They really like that and it is taken into
consideration when they fine you, and they always do.
2. Anything you can do to demonstrate that you have been proactive in
trying to operate in a safe manner is a huge plus.
3. You can contact OSHA and request a free consultation. The only
catch is that you have to fix anything that they find. But they don't fine
you unless you refuse to make the changes that they request.
Safe =3D Healthy. good luck
Josh White
Production Manager
Syzygy Inc.
Silver City, NM
Richard White on fri 28 jan 11
One other nuance about the OSHA-required MSDS binder if you have employee=
=3D
s,
the binder must be kept in a place that is openly and readily accessible =
=3D
to
all affected employees. You may not keep the only copy in the manager's
office where employees must ask for it, as that could chill the employee'=
=3D
s
interest in discovering the hazards of the workplace. In the case of the
locked janitorial closets noted in another post, I presume that was a mat=
=3D
ter
of keeping the cleaning supplies generally secure from the rummaging of
building tenants, not to keep the MSDS book secure from the prying eyes o=
=3D
f
the affected janitorial employees who presumably had access to the closet=
=3D
for their daily work.=3D20
cheers
dw
WJ Seidl on sat 29 jan 11
In most of the places I've worked, the MSDS binder was kept in a plastic
"pocket" on a common area wall in the workplace (like a break or lunch
room),
easily accessible to anyone.
In the case of our "cleaning cabinets"; once awarded a contract, we
placed a cabinet
in the location, approved by the contractee. Locked to keep their
employees from
rummaging through, as noted. However, we did furnish a key to the
contractee's
higher up, such as the location manager "just in case". They rarely
used anything, but if they
needed something for a spill, or BBP (blood borne pathogen) cleanup
(which happened once in 20 years) it was available.
All the cabinets were keyed alike, so that any of our employees could
access any cabinet city wide.
Of course, we never made that knowledge public. Each of the cabinets
carried an MSDS binder, which contained not only
all of the chemicals WE used, but also any that the location used as
well, so that our employees could be informed.
Standard practice was to send a contract invoice monthly, and request
new copies of any MSDS that had changed from the
location's standpoint. The MSDS sheets to be replaced would arrive with
their check.
Most of our contracts were great about complying. Easier than arguing,
and way easier than dealing with an OSHA inspector.
Joe or I would inspect the locations daily to refill the cabinet, have
some face time at the location, find out if everything was going
okay, see if there were any concerns or complaints, and it was easy to
update the MSDS forms when we received them.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
On 1/28/2011 7:54 PM, Richard White wrote:
> One other nuance about the OSHA-required MSDS binder if you have employee=
s,
> the binder must be kept in a place that is openly and readily accessible =
to
> all affected employees. You may not keep the only copy in the manager's
> office where employees must ask for it, as that could chill the employee'=
s
> interest in discovering the hazards of the workplace. In the case of the
> locked janitorial closets noted in another post, I presume that was a mat=
ter
> of keeping the cleaning supplies generally secure from the rummaging of
> building tenants, not to keep the MSDS book secure from the prying eyes o=
f
> the affected janitorial employees who presumably had access to the closet
> for their daily work.
>
> cheers
> dw
>
>
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